Young Girl Calls Out BP on Gulf Oil Spill

The media coverage for the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico near Louisiana has caused BP to receive criticism from across the nation, but most recently from Lauren Spaulding, 14, who confidently stepped up to the podium at a tense town hall-style meeting that included fishermen, federal officials, and BP representatives near Houma, Louisiana.

Spaulding confronted BP inquiring about the company’s lack of initiative to educate children about the recent disaster.

Politely, but directly, she asked BP whether the company had planned on distributing teaching materials to schools, pointing out that children are also concerned about the spill, wanted to learn more about the situation and how they could potentially help. Spaulding also mentioned how children are just as environmentally-conscious as adults.

BP was not planning on educating children on the issue but Lisa Garcia, a Senior Advisor in the EPA, and a federal official attending the meeting, was particularly impressed with the girl’s advocacy. She later expressed that she believed providing local schools with educational materials on the Gulf spill was a great idea and that she would develop the new program, courtesy of BP funding the effort.